Hank twisting machine



March 2, 1954 E. B. BATES 2,670,589

HANK TWISTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor EMILE BERNARD Bans March 2, 1954 E. B. BATES I 2,670,589

HANK TWISTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet. 2

VII/(III! 62 54 5 56 Inventor Emu! BERNARD BATE March 2, 1954 E. B. BATES 2,670,589 HANK TWISTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor EMILE BERNARD BATES shaft 28, these and their fixed on a shaft 14 and rotatable between the position shown in Figs. 1, 9, and 10, and the position shown in Fig. 11. It will be seen that this device 13 sweeps the twisted hank off the element and off the holder 2 on to a table 15.

It is desirable to provide means for adjusting the initial spacing between the two holders 1, 2. This may be achieved by shifting the two holders towards or away from each other to equal extents or by shifting one holder only. In the accompanying drawings the holder 2 is mounted on parallel telescopic arms 4 which are adjustable for length. It is carried by a cross bar 16 which connects the free ends of the two arms 4 and protrudes beyond one side thereof so that the holder 2 is offset to one side of the arms.

If it is desired also to adjust the position of the holder I this holder may be carried in a head stock which is adjustable along the axis of rotation or for example the spindle 3 may be adjustable for length.

Turning now to the means for producing the various twisting and casting off movements already described, power is derived from a suitable sourcesuch as electric motor l1 and is applied through belt tensioning mechanism is controlled by a control device [3 to a reduction unit and thence to a pulley 21 on a shaft 22. This shaft 22 carries a gear wheel 23 which it drives through a friction clutch 24; the gear wheel 33 drives pinion 25 on the shaft 3. Thus so long as the gear wheel 23 is rotated, the shaft 3 and the device i are rotated also.

The shaft 22 also carries a pinion 26 meshing with a gear wheel 21 on a counter-shaft 28 extending lengthwise of the machine. This shaft 28 is therefore continuously driven and it carries a series of cams 29, 30, 3| which produce certain of the twisting motions as hereinafter described.

It is desirable to provide means by which the number of turns imparted to the hank may be varied at will and means by which the rotation of the holder I shall be confined exactly to a whole number of revolutions so that the element 5 always stops in the upright attitude. On the shaft or spindle 3 there is a stop member 32 which is adapted to be engaged by the end of a lever 33, pivoted at 34, when this lever is dropped into the position shown in Fig. 3. When this happens the friction clutch 24' is caused to slip and the shaft 3 is held stationary with the element 6 upright. The lever 33 is held up and is permitted to drop at the proper time by the following mechanism. On the end of shaft 28 there is a member 35 having a number of holes 36 for the-removable reception of pegs 31. Any number of-pegs may be inserted. Their function is, of course, to lift the lever 33 to inoperative position and to hold it lifted for the proper time. -A single peg permits of two rotations of the holder l and each 7 succeeding peg permits of one further rotation.

Turning now to the various cams on the cams associated mechanism are shown in greater detail in Figures 4, 5, and 6. Cam 29 operates the hank-discharging device l3. It isdisposed to engage a chain, cable or the like 38 which extends over sprockets, pulleys, or the like 40, 4| (the latter being on shaft l4) between .an anchorage 42 and a return spring 43 which is attached to anchorage 44. Thus when the cam 29 deflects the flexible element I3 the spring 43 is extended and the discharge device 13 is swung to its Figure 11 position. Immediately afterwards the pull of the spring 43 effects the return of said device l3 to its Fig. 1 position.

Cam 30 serves to produce the movements of the holder 2. It serves to rock a truck lever 45 pivoted at 46 and connected to one end of a chain, cable or the like 41 which extends over sprockets (or their equivalent) 48, 49, and has its other end connected by a return spring 50 to an anchorage 51. The sprocket 49 is mounted on the spindle 5 on which the carrier 2 is supported. Thus when the cam 30 depresses lever 45 the chain or the like 41 is pulled and the spindle 5 is rocked to swing the carrier 2 from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 9 to that shown in Fig. 10. When the cam permits lever 4'5 to ascend the spring 50 asserts itself and the carrier 2 is swung back to its Fig. 1

position. Desirably, the carrier 2 is provided with a balance weight 52 so that it swings easily between its two positions.

Cam 3| serves to rock the table l5 periodically about an axis 53 so that immediately after a hank ing through a hollow shaft 59 on which the holder 56 is mounted, passes through a sheath 50 and as its other end secured to a truck lever B I. Thus each time the truck lever 61 is depressed by cam 31 the stop pin I2 is swung up to the operative position shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. After the hank has been discharged the stop pin I2 falls back into its inoperative position in which it does not obstruct the action of placing a new hank on the holders I, 2.

It is desirable that when in operative position the stop pin 12 should be capable of yielding slightly towards the holder 1 as the twisted hank is folded over it. For this purpose the hollow spindle 59 is rotatably mounted at E2, or the carrier 55 is rotatably mounted on the hollow spindle, for movement against the action of a spring 63 wound round the spindle.

This stop pin [2 also presses resiliently on the hank as the latter is being twisted so that the twisting and the doubling are eifected under relative approach movement between the holders to double the twisted hank on itself to bring it ;end to end and for inserting the other end through the eye and means for discharging from the holders the twisted and doubled hank.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the said means for causing relative approach movement operates by bringing the two holders into interfitting relationship.

3. A machine according to claim 2, having the holder for the said other end movable into a position in which it is disposed at the inside of the holder for the eye-end of the hank so that it enters the eye.

4. A machine according to claim 1, having a stop arranged to engage the twisted hank in the region of its mid length.

5. A machine according to claim 1, having mechanism provided for varying at will the number of twists imparted to the hank.

6. A machine according to claim 1, having mechanism for adjusting the spacing between the two holders to accommodate them to banks of difiering sizes.

'7. A machine according to claim 4, having the holder for said other end of the hank mounted for swinging movement about an axis alongside said stop to bring it into and out of proximity to the holder for the eye end.

8. A machine according to claim 5, wherein said mechanism comprises a releasable clutch for transmitting the hank-twisting drive, and pre-set means for releasing said clutch after a predetermined number of twists.

9. A machine according to claim 5, having mechanism for confining the number of twists to a whole number.

10. A machine according to claim 4, having means for shifting the stop to inoperative position.

11. A machine according to claim 4, having resilient mounting means for the stop for permitting it to yield as the hank is twisted.

12. A machine for twisting hanks, comprising two spaced holders for the reception of the untwisted hank, whereof one holder has a concave face presented towards the other and the latter is of finger-like form with a lateral protrusion spaced from its top, means for rotating the first holder to twist the hank, a stop for engaging the twisted hank in the region of its mid length, and a mounting for movement of the second holder to double the twisted hank over the stop and to pass along the concavity of the first holder and for thereby inserting an end of the twisted hank which is on the second holder onto an end of the twisted hank which is on the first holder.

13. A machine according to claim 4, having the said stop adapted to bear against and tension the hank during the twisting and doubling thereof.

EMILE BERNARD BATES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

